Opening and pouring device for cans



June 18, 1957 A. A. aleos ,7 6,

v OPENING AND POURING DEVICE FOR CANS Filed July 15, 1955 United States Patent Q The invention relates to a spout for dispensing canned products, and more particularly relates to a spout for piercing the end wall of a can and dispensing the contents therefrom, such as, for instance, lubricating oil.

Devices of the type of the present invention often include a tubular spout member having a sharp piercing end at the inlet thereof. A curved guide member is associated with the spout and underlies the pointed end thereof in a manner to engage the side walls of the can and guide the piercing end of the spout into its proper position Within the can. When the spout and the associated can are inverted to a pouring position, oil often leaks on the outside of the spout between the pierced end wall of the can and the portion of the spout which extends therein. The leaking oil draining on the outside of the spout is objectionable.

The present invention overcomes the aforesaid disadvantages by providing .a dispensing spout for use with oil cans or other containers from which all of the contents of the containers may be directed to the desired location by means of a simple, inexpensive, leak-proof spout construction.

Briefly, the spout of the present invention includes a trough-shaped portion which underlies the inlet end of the spout and which extends outside of the end wall of the pierced container when the spout is in operating position on the container. The trough-shaped portion catches any oil leaking to the outside of the inlet end of the spout. The upper surface of the inlet end of the spout is rounded so that any oil which leaks to the top or side thereof will immediately drain down the sides of the inlet tube and drip onto the trough-shaped portion. The inner end of the trough-shaped portion communicates with the outlet end of the spout so that the oil draining thereon will be directed to the outlet orifice of the spout, and wastage and spillage of oil is consequently prevented.

These and other features .and advantages of the invention will be described in more detail in the specification to follow and the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the spout of the instant invention with the longitudinal axis of the spout horizontal, the outlet end of the spout being at the left and the trough-shaped portion thereof facing upward;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view, in perspective, of thecomponent parts of the spout; the orientation of the components is reversed from their assembled orientation in order to best show the construction of each;

Fig. 3 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of the spout shown in Fig. 1 wherein the spout has been fully inserted in operating position within a can and has been tilted into its pouring position;

Fig. 4 is a bottom, longitudinal section of the spout of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a transverse "section taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 66 of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, like reference numerals indicate the same elements throughout.

The spout of the'invention includes an outer tubular body member 2 formed from a single sheet of metal which has been bent to shape to form an enclosed tubular portion 4 with an outlet orifice 6 therein. Reference numeral 8 indicates the seam formed by the abutting edges of the ends of the sheet of material which have been belt to form the .tubular portion 4. The edges forming the seam 8 separate to form an open-top, trough shaped portion, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10. The inlet end of the trough-shaped portion 10 has a concave inner surface 14, as seen in Fig. 1, the concave sur-v face being adapted to fit about the curved side walls of a cylindrical can.v The inlet end of the trough-shaped portion is crim-ped to form an outwardly flaming lip at 16 which guides the end of the side walls of the can 12 ('Fig. 3) into proper position on the spout.

Theoutlet end of the trough-shaped portion 10 has upwardly extending convex side walls 22 which merge with the tubular portion 4 of the outer body member 2. The convex. side walls 22 of the trough-shaped member 10 flare outwardly fromthe tu'bular portion 4 of the body member 2, andv the top edges 24 thereof forma generally V-shaped opening at the top thereof, the apex of which merges with the end of the seam 8. The top edges 24 of the side walls 22 terminate in stop shoulders 23, the bottom of which join the top edges 25 of the inlet end of the trough-shaped portion 10. When the spout has been inserted within the can 12, the stop should'ers 23 abut the end wall of the can 12 and prevent further inward movement of the spout within the can.

Overlying' the trough-shaped portion 10 of the outer body member 2, and extending longitudinally of and.

projecting within the tubular portion 4, is an inlet tube 28h-aving a sharp, piercing end 30 on the top inlet end thereof. The inlet tube 28 adjacent to the body member, 2 is cut away asat 32, so that the bottom of the inlet tube is spaced from the trough-shaped portion 10. This spacing provides clearance for the side walls of the can 12 when the spout is inserted within the can, with the piercing end 30 of the inlet tube extending therein, as seen in Fig. 3. Grooves 33 are formed in the edges of the cut-away portion 32 which grooves are spaced longitudinally of the stop shoulder 23 of the trough-shaped portion 10 in the direction of the inlet end of the spout. Thus, when the inlet end of the spout is inserted in the can 12 (Fig. 3), the apertures 33 provide an entry-way into the inlet tube 28 for oil in the can which is below the inlet end 35 of the inlet tube, when the can and spout are inverted into a pouring position.

The other end of the inlet tube 28 communicates with the tubular portion 4 of the outer body member. The top of the latter end of the inlet tube 28, considering the orientation of Fig. 1, includes a tubular portion 40 which is shaped to telescope with-in the concave inner surface of 'the tubular portion 4 of the body member 2. The bottom of the inlet tube 28 is cut away at 41 to provide entry-ways 38-between the convex side walls 22 of the body member 2 and the outer walls of the inlet tube 28.

. The bottom of the inlet tube 28 has a pair'of openings 44 which are in register with openings 46in the bottom. wall of the body member 2. Screws 48 are in threaded engagement with the defining walls of the openings 44 of the inlet tube 28 and secure the inlet tube to Patented June 18, 1957 entry-ways 38. The top surface 50 of the inlet tube 28 is rounded for reasons to be hereinafter explained.

To insert the spout of the invention into operating position within a can, the lip 16 of body member 2 is placed about the ends of the side walls of the can 12 and the piercing end 30 of the inlet tube 28 is then forced into the end wall of the can, thereby projecting the inlet end of the inlet tube 28 into the can 12. When the spout has been inserted to its fullest inward position (Fig. 3), the end wall of the can 12 abuts the stop shoulders 23 and the inlet end of the trough-shaped portion engages the side walls of the can. The convex side walls 22 of the trough-shaped portion 10 extend outside of the can 12 and freely accessible troughs are provided thereby, into which any liquid leaking to the exterior of the inlet tube may drain. The curved upper surface 50 of the tube 28 enables liquid draining thereon to drip to the bottom of the trough-shaped portion 10. The liquid is then carried to the tubular portion 4 of the body member 2 by gravity vi'a passageways 45 between the side walls 22 of the trough-shaped portion 10 and the side walls of the inlet tube 28.

The spout of the present invention thus provides a leak-proof spout which is of simple and inexpensive construction.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made of the preferred embodiment above described without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.

I claim:

1. A spout comprising a tubular body portion having an outlet orifice at one end, an inlet tube communicating with said outlet orifice from the other end of said tubular body'portion and including piercing means on the inlet end thereof for piercing the end wall of a container whereby the inlet tube may communicate with the inside of the pierced container, stop means for limiting the movement of the inlet end of the inlet tube when the piercing means pierces the end wall and enters the pierced container, and a trough-shaped portion at said other end of said tubular body portion and having side walls defining at least one passageway communicating, with said outlet orifice of said tubular body and adapted to catch material dripping from the outside of said inlet tube and carry same by gravity to said outlet orifice, said trough-shaped portion underlying said inlet tube with the said side walls thereof spaced from the walls of said inlet tube and extending opposite the portion of the inlet tube. which remains outside the end wall of the container due to said stop means, said trough shaped por tion engaging the side wall of the container when the inlet tube has pierced the end wall and entered the container.

2. A spout comprising a first open ended tubular body portion having an outlet and inlet end, an open-top trough-shaped portion connected to said tubular body portion and having an end which is adapted to fit about the walls of a can, said trough-shaped portion communicating with'the inside of said tubular body portion whereby material on said trough-shaped member may be carried by gravity to the outlet end of said tubular body portion when the spout is in a pouring position, an openended inlet tube having a can piercing end at the inlet thereof and an outlet end communicating with the inlet end of said tubular body portion, shoulder stop means for limiting the movement of the inlet end of the inlet tube into the container with which it is to be used, said sage of the side wall of a can, at least the outlet end of said trough-shaped portion having side walls displaced from, and located on opposite sides of, said inlet tube and extending from said shoulder stop means to points spaced from said shoulder stop means in the direction of the outlet end of the spout, to define therebetween respective passageways extending from said stop shoulder means to and communicating with said tubular body portion, the said outlet end of said open-top trough-shaped member extending opposite the portion of the inlet tube which remains outside of the pierced container.

3. A spout comprising an outer body member having a tubular outlet end, an open-top, trough-shaped inlet end extending longitudinally therefrom, said open-top, trough-shaped inlet end having a portion with convex side walls merging with said tubular outlet end, said trough-shaped inlet end adapted to be telescoped over the side walls of a can and having upper edges which merge with the upper edges of the said convex side walls via shoulders which are adapted to abut the end of a container, and an inlet tube of smaller transverse dimensions than the width of said trough-shaped portion, said inlet tube overlying and extending longitudinally of said trough-shaped inlet end of said outer body member whereby material leaking on the outside of the inlet tube will drain onto said trough-shaped inlet end, said inlet tube communicating with said tubular outlet end of the spout and the sides thereof being spaced from the walls of said outer body member to provide an entry-way to the inside of said tubular outlet end between the inlet tube and body member for material dripping onto said trough-shaped member from outside of said inlet tube.

4. A spout comprising an outer body member having an outlet end formed from a single sheet of material which has been bent to shape to form an enclosed, tubular outlet end and an open-top, trough-shaped inlet and extending longitudinally therefrom, the said enclosed tubular outlet end having a longitudinal seam on its upper surface formed by the contiguous edges of the bent piece of material from which it was formed, said open-top, troughshaped inlet end having a portion having convex side walls'flaring outwardly from said tubular outlet end with the open top thereof provided by the outwardly flaring, upper edges of said convex side walls which are a con tinuation of the contiguous edges forming the said scam in the top of said tubular outlet end, said trough-shaped inlet end adapted to be telescoped over the side walls of a can and having upper edges which merge with the upper edges of the said convex side walls via shoulders which are adapted to abut the outer edges of the end wall of a container, and an inlet tube of smaller transverse dimensions than the width of said trough-shaped inlet end of said outer body member whereby material leaking on the outside of the inlet tube Will drain onto said troughshaped inlet end, said inlet tube communicating with the enclosed tubular outlet end thereof, said inlet tube having at least a portion thereof spaced from the junction of said outlet and inlet ends of said outer body member to provide an entry-way to the inside of said tubular outlet end for material draining onto said trough-shaped member from outside of said inlet tube, the front end of said inlet tube having a piercing portion adapted to pierce the end wall of a can.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

